People at Datel: Clare Hughes, Project Manager

Clare Hughes is a member of Datel’s Project Management team, working at Datel for over eight years in various roles across her department.

First, tell us a bit about you and your background.

Previously I worked as a Quality Manager for a telemarketing company, which involved assisting in rolling out new campaigns and covered aspects of both Account Management and Project Management. I decided I wanted a new challenge and wanted to look at a career in Project Management, so I moved to Datel as a Project Administrator in 2008.

What made you decide to apply for the role at Datel?

When I did research on Datel prior to applying for the job role, I was impressed by the literature available and the experience of the people working here. I liked the fact it felt much more team-orientated than places I’d worked at previously.

How did you find the recruitment and interviewing process?

During the recruitment process I was able to meet my soon-to-be Manager, along with one of the Directors. This gave me a good idea of the company structure and also what I could expect from Senior Management. I was also able to talk with another Project Administrator to get to know her a little, which gave me the opportunity to understand what the job would involve and what a normal day would look like. This particularly helped me to decide whether or not the role was what I was looking for, and as it turned out, it was!

What does a typical day at Datel involve for you now?

I spend my day dealing with customers, planning and scheduling-in project work, attending customer and internal meetings, reviewing work done on my projects with consultants and internal departments, and managing risk and issues on my projects.

What is the day-to-day working environment like?

I have a really supportive Manager and Director I can go to whenever I need help or advice on work.  I also get a lot of support from the other teams I work with across the business.

How has your role and department changed since you started, and how do you think it might change in the future?

I started at Datel as a Project Administrator and became a Project Manager after two years. I now mainly look after large Sage X3 projects and am also responsible for Sage 1000, SLX and CRM governance. Our department has grown a lot since I started, as we now have Project Co-ordinators as well as the Project Admin team and Project Managers.

What do you enjoy most about working at Datel, and would you recommend Datel?

Feeling appreciated and being able to work with different teams is the best part of working at Datel. Everyone works well together and helps each other out and you never feel like you’re on your own. I would never hesitate to recommend Datel as a great place for my family and friends to work.